Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, has appealed to Nigerians to make the right sacrifices at this period of economic crisis, for a better and greater country in the future.
He added that it would take a period of seven years for any economic reforms positively designed and well implemented to yield results.
He made this statement on Sunday, while delivering the fifth anniversary lecture of a community magazine, Ijebu News Xtra, at Ijebu-Ode, on the theme: “Ogun State: Stimulating Youths Entrepreneurship Potentials in Recessive Economy,” which had in attendance the Group Managing Director, Odua Investments, Mr Adewale Raji; a former member of the House of Representatives, Wale Ogunbanjo; Mr Femi Omotayo and former member of the state House of Assembly, Tokunbo Oshin, in attendance.
He explained that any economic reform could not be executed within a four-year term, submitting that President Muhammadu Buhari needed more time to fix the nation’s ailing economy.
Bankole said solution to the challenge would not be found in any economics textbook, noting that it required the willingness of Nigerians, to support government and be ready to make sacrifices.
The former speaker said: “I feel sorry for President Buhari, he can’t solve the problem in four years. He needs a second term. No economic reform or policy can be formulated and implemented to produce the expected results within four years; it will take at least seven years.
“He is doing a thankless job now, like the teachers. No magic or miracle about this, we have to do the work and the government needs support. It is a long distance race.
“The question is: what are you prepared to sacrifice? What risk are you going to take, to make Nigeria better? We must make sacrifices to make the country work.”
Bankole advised the nation’s youth to develop skills that would make them employers of labour, while enjoining well-meaning Nigerians to encourage them in establishing businesses.